The Lost Chance
by ellamalfoy8
Summary: Draco has to admit to Lord Voldemort it wasn't him who killed Dumbledore. Even worse, he has to admit to himself that he is completely, hopelessly, terribly screwed. One shot


**A/N: Ok, so I've been thinking about what's going to happen to Draco when he has to admit to Lord Voldy that it wasn't him who killed Dumbledore. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands and write this one shot about it. So here it is, my version of the 31st chapter, after Snape apparates Draco away! REVIEW PLEASE!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own it!**

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**Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince: Chapter 31**

**The Lost Chance**

"You made a huge mistake not killing Dumbledore tonight on the tower, Draco," Snape hissed as he pulled Draco across the courtyard in front of the Riddle Manor. "The Dark Lord shall punish you for not doing it yourself. You did not follow his plans." The blond teenager shivered as his teacher yanked on his arm, pulling him through the maze of hedges that covered the lawn of the mansion.

"Why does it matter that I didn't do it? The old codger is dead! Who cares who killed him?" Draco grumbled, trying in vain to pull his loose cloak closer around him.

"The Dark Lord doesn't like defiance. Why Draco? Why did you not follow your orders?" The boy whimpered softly as Snape's already tight grip cut off circulation to his arm. "You have successfully blown my cover as a spy, our lord is not going to be pleased. I don't understand you, why couldn't you just kill him?"

"I was scared, alright? Terrified that something would go wrong! And he kept telling me I was a good person and that I wasn't a killer! He confused me, and I couldn't focus! I just couldn't do it!" Draco yelled, shoving the older man away from him and sighing as his blood returned to his arm. Snape only scoffed.

"Weakness. That's all this is. Our lord does not value weakness. He will punish you. Make up some excuse as to why you couldn't follow his orders, as confusion will not prove adequate." He grabbed his arm again, resuming dragging him into the house and through the halls. "And don't think for a second that I believe your feeble confusion story. Second thoughts are more like it. Anyway, have you been practicing occlumany like I've taught you?" Draco gritted his teeth. He was already feeling sick; he couldn't stand having his mind attacked by Voldemort tonight.

"Of course, Professor." Knowing resistance would be futile; he didn't fight with his godfather and followed him obediently through the halls of Riddle manor, dreading the moment he would have to explain to his master that he had not done his job. What would his father say when he found out his only son had failed him? What could he do now? Nothing, he was a sitting duck.

"We're almost there, Draco. Prepare yourself," Snape warned him, finally releasing his arm. He massaged it with a grimace as Snape knocked lightly on the wooden door leading to Voldemort's office.

"Come in Severus, I've been waiting," ordered Voldemort, causing Draco to flinch. Snape opened the door and entered the dark study, getting down on his knees to kiss the tips of his master's robes, before backing away and standing up. Draco did the same, trying no to look at the skeletal man standing before him. He could practically feel the man's red eyes boring into his head. He hated this more than anything, being ordered around and looked over as if he were a pawn in a chess game. He was a human, not a wooden piece. But there was nothing he could do.

"So give me the news. Young Master Draco, his he dead? Did you murder Albus Dumbledore as I asked?" The man asked, the smirk apparent in his voice. Draco would tell he knew the answer already.

"Yes, my lord," Draco managed to say, looking down at his feet.

"You're lieing, young Malfoy. Severus did the job, not you." Voldemort was furious, though you could not tell from his stoic appearance. "Why is that?" When the young man did not answer, Voldemort took things into his own hands and used Legimancy on him, invading his mind and forcing him to see the events of that night play back in his head like a picture show on fast forward. He could see Hermione glaring murderously at him, Dumbledore pleading with him, and Snape pulling him across the Hogwarts grounds. Draco couldn't stop him, and couldn't block the memories from his minds eye. It was useless for him to try and wall the tyrant you, so he endured it, his breath shuddering. Once his master was finished with this form of cruel and unusual punishment he closed his eyes, not wanting to see the leer on the twisted face before him. He was going to die, and he knew it.

"Ah, Master Draco no longer wishes to be a death eater!" Draco's head snapped up as Voldemort raised an eyebrow, his smirk mocking.

"That's not t-," but he was cut off as Voldemort pulled out his wand from his pocket and began to twirl it casually in his fingers.

"Perhaps Master Draco would rather not live at all?" he cooed, his dark voice oddly twisted and dysfunctional. Thankfully Snape came to his defense, spotting that his godson had lost his ability to speak out of terror.

"Please my lord, do not kill him. If he were to cease to live, it would mark my peril as well as his. When young Draco received his assignment to kill Dumbledore less than a year ago, his mother Narcissa came to me, distraught." Draco had to admit that though his godfather was less than pleasant, he was remarkably strong and brave to stick up to the dark lord. Then again, Severus Snape had been in this position much longer than he had. "She begged me to aid him, to take his place if he could not accomplish his task. I gave her empty promises of course, but it was not enough for her. She was hysterical, my lord, and pleaded with me to make an unbreakable vow." Draco now peeled his eyes away from his feet to stare at the man next to him. His mother didn't believe he could do it? Well, fair enough. He hadn't done it, had he? Snape continued, no even shivering under the intimidating gaze of Lord Voldemort. "Normally I would have refused, it was not my place to get involved. Unfortunately however, Narcissa's sister Bellatrix had followed her to my home, and was listening. I had no other choice but to comply." Both Draco and Snape could see their leader was not at all pleased. His pale reptilian face was now sneering at them, and his eyes were at their brightest red as if a flame was lit behind them.

"You know better than to do unbreakable vows, Severus," he hissed, his voice clearly voicing the unsaid threat.

"She was questioning my loyalty, my lord! What was I supposed to do?" Snape retorted, his own voice just as passionate. Voldemort took a deep breath, struggling with himself not to kill the two people standing before him.

"Fine, Severus, I understand your predicament. And I will have a word with Bellatrix, she should know better than to challenge your sides. Very well." He bowed his head slightly to his servant, knowing better than to punish him. Instead he turned to the formerly arrogant teenager standing on Snape's right. The vindictive look on Voldemort's face made Draco take a step back, knowing what was coming as the man aimed his want at the boy's gut.

"You've gotten lucky this time, Draco Malfoy. It seems you will live to see another day." Voldemort leaned closer until his serpent-like nose was only inches away from the boy's perky ski jump. "But we warned, little one. Mess up again and you will not be spared, vow or not." Then he backed up, dropping his extended arm to his side. "However, I do not want my unsure death eaters to go unpunished. Like those before, you shall learn that once you have been initiated into our circle, there is no turning back. Roll up your left sleeve." Draco looked at him anxiously but did as he was told, revealing the hideous black tattoo that showed his alliance to the dark lord.

"With that mark, Malfoy, comes duty. You come when called; you do as you are told. You do _not_ have second thoughts, do you understand?" He nodded quickly, his eyes wide. "So, just to insure that you do not think of following the light side, I'll teach you a little lesson, m'kay?" He re-aimed his wand yet again as Draco gulped, looking to his godfather for help. Snape only blinked at him, his eyes clearly saying, out of my hands. "I asked you a question, _boy_. Answer it."

"Yes my lord," Draco panted, bracing himself for the pain sure to follow.

"Good. Crucio." Draco fell to the ground as the jet of white light hit his chest, writhing on the floor in pain. He screamed desperately, feeling his eyes roll back into his head as the two men stared down at him. Voldemort lifted the curse, smirking in pleasure. Snape didn't help the aching boy to his feet as he struggled to keep his balance. A trickle of sweat dripped down from his once elegant blond hair onto hi deathly pale cheek. "Very good. Escort him to a room, Severus. I do not believe it would be wise for him to return to Malfoy manor now as the news of the murder of Albus Dumbledore sweeps the country. It would be advisable for you to do the same," the dark lord advised and Snape nodded curtly, before turning around and pushing the trembling Draco out of the office.

As Draco sat on his bed in the drafty guest room in the Riddle manor some twenty minutes later, he realized he'd missed his chance. Missed his chance for happiness, missed his chance for acceptance, missing his chance for love. Before Snape had killed Professor Dumbledore, Dumbledore had reached out to him, offering him a place on the light side. And he had been about to take it before the other death eaters burst in on them. As Draco rubbed his dark mark absentmindedly, he thought of the life he'd almost had. He could have helped Harry Potter defeat Voldemort, and argued with Ronald Weasely about wizard chess. He could have taught the famous bookworm Hermione Granger how to lighten up, and maybe have even admitted his three-year crush on her. But instead Draco was sitting alone in a cold, dark room, wishing things were different. He would never have that; he was stuck as a servant to the most evil wizard of all time. Maybe he would rather not live at all, but for now he would just have to remain loyal. Draco Malfoy was not weak after all.


End file.
